Method of separating fruit-pits and their kernels



s. HILL'ER METHOD OF SEPARATING FRUIT PITS AND THEIR KERNELS..

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.4,1919. 1,374,657. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

. Fruit-Pits and Their' Kernels,

UNITED- STATES s'rANtnY HILLER, or SAN rnmcxsco, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD OF SEPARATING FRUIT-FITS AND THEIR KEBNELS.

T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be itk'nown that I, STANLEY HILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of San Franclsco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods ofSeparating following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of separating the shells offruit plts from their kernels.

In producing products from the kernels of fruit pits it is desirable tocommerclally separate-the shells and kernels and 1t 1s the principalobject of the present 1nvent1on provide simple means whereby the shellsand kernels of fruit pits may be continuously and effectually separated.I

The present invention contemplates the use of. means of cracking pits toliberate the kernels therefrom, shells and kernels to a fresh waterbath,and then grading them in brine, continuously drawing off the' shellsfrom the top of the brine and kernels from the bottom of the tank.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example in the accom'panymgdrawlngs, 1n which the figure shows a diagrammatlcal arrangement of aplant for producing flour from fruit pits and recovering the kernels ofthe pits.

In carrying out the present invention, it is desirable to provide a feedhopper 10,1nto which fruit. pits or other shells of llke character maybe delivered and from which they may pass to a vibrating screen 1l;-wh1le upon this screen the foreign matter 1s separated from the pitsand the are then caused to pass onto av plurality o gradmg screens 12where they are graded mto four sizes. The pits may then be delivered toseparate sets of cracking rollers 13 and 14. These rollers are arrangedin pans set predetermined distancesfrom each other beneath the differentgraders so that the size of pits delivered thereto will be accommodatedand the shell of the pit cracked without crushing the kernels. Thecrushed pits are then passed to a grader 15,. where the large pieces ofshells are removed and carried upwardly on an elevator 15'. This meansthat approximately 7 5% while the remaining 25% must be delrvered withthe kernel to awater-vat 16. Thls vat is filled with fresh water.Attention is di- Specification of Letters Patent.

of which the thereafter subjecting the,

of the pit is carried away Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application filed September}, 1919. Serial No. 321,554.

rected to the fact that in the case of peach been first soaked in freshwater and then delivered to the brine vat, a certain separating actionwill be obtained, the kernels floating and the shells sinking. Thisaction is apparently due to the fact that the fresh water does not havethe penetrating qualities of the brine, and thus forms a thin film overthe outer surface of the shells, so that when the shells aresubsequently placed in the bump, they will be more buoyant than wouldotherwise have been the case. The kernels may be carried off from thetop of the vat to the delivery hopper 19 to a suitable drier 20, whilethe shells which have accumulated in the bottom of the vat 18 may beelevated by conveyer 21, and after passing through a drier 21, thendelivered to fiouring roller 22, with the large shells carried byelevator 15". A first fiouring operation will reduce the shells to aflour of thirty mesh or over. This flour may be used to advantage in themanufacture of composition fiouring. Other portions of the flour may bereduced to 100 mesh or over and can be very readily used in themanufacture of nitroglycerin products. It has been necessary to useconsiderable wheat flourin connection with this industry and it'has beenfound that by substituting the flour-made from peachpits a desirableresult will be obtained without producing an appreciable vdifferenceinthe product made. The absorption qualities of the nitroglycerin areasgood or better than when the wheat flour has been used andtestshaveproven that explosives made with the peach separating the cracked shellsfrom their kernels, a .desirablepr'oduct, may be prour and by providinga commercially practical way of duced, which product admirably answersthe requirements of manufacturers of composition fiouring, the powdermanufacturers an other allied industries. 7

While I have'shown one methodof carrying out the present invention, itwill be understood that the arrangement of the apparatus might be variedto obtain the same results Without departing from the spirit of theinvention as claimed.

Having thus described my inventi0n,what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. A process of separating the kernels and shells offruit pits and the like, which consists in placing the cracked shellswith the kernels in fresh water and thereafter placing the shells andkernels in brine whereby a complete gravity separation of the shells andkernels will be produced.

2. A process of separating the shells and kernels of fruit pits and thelike in a brine 15 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 20 my handin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STANLEY HILLER. Witnesses:

W. WV. HEALEY, M. E. EWING.

